Re: NANFA-L-- Red water mites -- poisonous?

dlmcneely-in-lunet.edu
Mon, 08 Aug 2005 15:40:31 -0500

Don't know if these things are toxic. They are not parasites, but
rather are predaceous on other small inverts. You are right that the
bright red, highly visible color suggests a warning as in bees,
butterflies, reptiles, whether toxic or venomous. But other mites are
bright red too; to whom might chiggers be putting out a warning?
Certainly not us or their normal hosts of lizards and birds.

David L. McNeely, Ph.D., Professor of Biology
Langston University; P.O. Box 1500
Langston, OK 73050; email: dlmcneely-in-lunet.edu
telephone: (405) 466-6025; fax: 405) 466-3307
home page http://www.lunet.edu/mcneely/index.htm

"Where are we going?" "I don't know, are we there yet?"
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